


Dragonsfire

by Kaiiner



Category: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-25 19:51:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18581440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaiiner/pseuds/Kaiiner
Summary: He came to this land to learn from Cyrodiil's best mages. All it got him was a quaint visit to the Imperial City jail and a meeting with an entrancing figure with a lethal edge. Literally.She was given assignment, track down the target, eliminate him, get paid. Small-time task. How did she end up with a Nordic mage hanging off her coattails like a stray?Their unlikely meeting has them trapped in the trials and tribulations of 3rd Era Cyrodiil and at the epicenter of a Deadric invasion. Whether it's the hand of the Nine that sways their fate, or purely bad luck, they'll have to survive it all to know.





	Dragonsfire

The jailed Nord lay out on the flimsy bedroll, the distant noise of the water in the bay and birds squawking about in the midday sun echoing into the cell. He'd just gotten through attending to Valen Dreth and his— apparently— daily spiel of insulting the one other inmate on this end of the Imperial dungeons. It didn't help that the guy was already somewhat crazy. The slow pace of the day was picked up when the sound of a guard yanking the door open echoed down the stone stairwell; the distinct sound of metal armor shifting about accompanied by the shuffle of soft soled boots and the guard's angry voice.

 

"Get a move on, you damn mutt! I haven't the time to play with you right now." The arrival of a new convict in the cells was likely the highlight of everyone's day down here. Watching the guard turn the corner, tugging on a short chain that attached to the cuffs of the new inmate. Even Valen seemed interested in the new arrival, his hands clutching the cell door bars. The new inmate looked around the small cell room with disdain, if not boredom, on her face. The guard gave a contemplative glance to the last empty cell but sneered before turning to the Nord's cell door instead.

 

"Lucky you, Nord. You get a new buddy to play with until you get out of here. Try not to break her." The guard jeered at the inmate on the end of the chain in his hands and turned back to unlock the rusty cell door. The Nord looked back to the new inmate, observing as she glanced down the hall to the cell that contained a crazed high elf. His murmuring ceased as he stared, eyes wide with fear, at the new girl. The tan colour in his face faded as she dragged a single finger under her jaw. She ended the motion with a flutter of her fingers and a slight upturn at the corner of her lips. She turned back to the jailer, straight-faced once more as he finished with the door. Valen seemed to be bursting with gossip but he kept silent; new entertainment was hard to find in an Imperial dungeon.

 

The guard grabbed the girl by her upper arm and dragged her into the cell, undoing the shackles around her wrist before slamming the cell door again, the light clicks of the lock being in place. He shot a quick sneer into the cell, "Maybe later I can show you how well we treat convicts like you in the Imperial City." She turned her back to him instead, looking about the cell with slight interest. The guard scoffed and muttered offensively before walking back up the stairwell and slamming the heavy dungeon door shut once again, allowing the cold silence of the dungeon to seep back into place.

 

The Nord winced when she suddenly turned a critical eye on him, a pearlescent silvery-white shining in the light that shone through the bars. She reached up to the messy pile of ebony hair on her head, taking out the band and allowing her hair to fall down her back as she wandered further into the cell, "So what did they get you for?" Her voice came as a slight surprise to the man, fumbling for a response.

 

"Uh, arson it would seem...It was an accident actually." He could hear the slight snicker from his new cell buddy, watching while she gathered her hair again into a high bun like he'd seen some elves wear. It was then the Nord noted the independently swishing tail that he mistook for the abundance of fabric and material that was tied around her waist, "Um...what are―how about you?" He had to stop himself the first time, asking a rude question in a jail cell wasn't exactly a smart move.

 

"Probably for killing a man." She placed that out in the open as if discussing the reason for the merchant ships being delayed. She moved back to the cell gate, running her hands between the gaps of the bars curiously.

 

 ** _Probably_** _killing a man?_ "Probably? Did you do it?"

 

"No." The Nord let out a sigh just as she said it, "Well, not yet. The guard was already done in when I got there. Was caught breaking into an armoury. Filched this, though." She pulled a medium dagger from her boot, the intricate engravings expensive looking and obviously time-consuming. She flipped it neatly between her fingers with a pleased gleam in her eyes and shoved it back into the holster inside her boot. The Nord was still stuck on the 'not yet' though, her light tone didn't lead him to believe her claim.

 

"Not yet?"

 

She gave a heavy sigh, "You ask lots of questions. Be lookout and keep your mouth quiet." With that, she pressed herself against the gate bars, slipping her head through the bars with obvious ease and a little bit of wiggling. Now that he watched her do that, he wondered why more criminals didn’t try that method. Then again, most Cyrodiil criminals weren't exactly small. Within a few moments, she was on the opposite side of the gate and moving down the hall the high elf's cell, his voice rising in his apparent panic. His shrieks caused a grimace to appear over the girl's' face, her hands shooting through the cell bars and grabbing the skinny elf by his throat and shirt. She wrapped her arm around the back of his neck, pressing the elf's throat against the horizontal bar to cut off his air.

 

"You really thought you'd be able to run?" Leaning her weight back, applying that last bit of needed pressure before the elf slumped fully against her hold. She scoffed lightly but shoved the body backward, swiftly making her way back the Nord's cell. No comments were made, any eye contact made was quickly averted elsewhere. Valen, himself, even seemed to be shocked to silence, a stunned grimace on his face as he backed away from the cell gate. Apparently harassing the new inmate wasn't on his list for the day.

 

The Nord stammered briefly, "Lothic." The girl looked at him, a slight twist at the corner of rosy lips. "I mean, Esper. Esperilieas Lothic…my name is Esperilieas Lothic." He held out a hand, awkwardly halfway between fully extended and by his side. She looked at his face and his hand but, to his relief, grasped it with surprising strength.

 

"Ilyasu Vidroro." Esper's gaze caught on the tips of fangs peeking slightly from behind her lips as she purred her r's. They held hands for a moment, probably a few too many, Ilyasu awkwardly withdrew her hand when Esper continued to simply gawk.

 

The Nord ― Esper― fidgeted a bit more, sharing brief eye contact with his cellmate before dropping his gaze again, "So they didn't process you yet? I mean, you still have your own possessions." She looked down at herself then over to him, taking in the torn and threading rags he was dressed in compared to her dressings and jewellery. The lack of footwear and the broken shackles on his wrist. She's rather glad; prison rag would not be very flattering on her.

 

"No, it seems they didn't," She gave her clothes a quick pat down and nodded to herself, "Everyone seems to be in quite the frenzy up there… You! Dunmer!" Valen perked his head up from the mat, a slight sneer on his face, "If I have you figured right, you know what the ruckus is about upstairs."

 

He scoffed and laughed to himself a bit, "Haven't you heard? Someone's attacked the Imperial Palace. The whole city is in an uproar about the attacks and apparently, we're not the only ones." He grinned at the two when the sound of the dungeon door opening resonated again, "Hey, you hear that? The guards are coming…for you." He pushed back from the gate, tittering giggles, clutching at the bars like he had a front row seat at the Imperial Arena fights.

 

Both inmates share a concerned glance at the flurry of sounds resonating down the stairwell. It was easy to identify at least three armoured personnel, the clink of metal plates with every step and shift, their voices overlapping and rising in volume as they got closer.

 

"…only said they were attacked."

 

"No, they're dead. I know it."

 

"My job right now is to get you to safety," A fully armoured female stopped in front of the cell doors, flanked by two other men in similar dressing and an elderly man dressed in extravagant robes, a deep-set solemn expression engraved into his features. "What are these prisoners doing here? This cell is supposed to be off-limits!"

 

The front guard balked at the scolding, hands floundering by his side, "Usual mix-up with the Watch, ma'am. I― I didn't…"

 

She held up a hand to dismiss the rest of his stammering, "Never mind, Baurus. Just get the damn gate open. Stand back, prisoners. We won't hesitate to kill you if you get in our way." Esper was already in motion, shuffling backward. He reached for Ilyasu's arm when she hadn't moved and the guards started giving them both a rather harsh stare, hands on the pommel of the blades. She flinched at the slight contact of his fingertips on the back of her arm, quickly moving to the back wall of the cell. They could only stand still and hope the guards didn't just decide they were being disobedient. The female guard nodded and hurried the elder man into the small cell, the other two covering the cell entryway. As his guards fidgeted with the wall, the man stared at the two cell occupants.

 

"You…I've seen you," he left his guards side to stand directly in front of them, looking back and forth between their faces. Esper's head bowed, keeping his eyes to the ground while Ilyasu looked back undeterred. "You are the ones from my dreams…Then the stars were right, and this is the day. Gods, give me strength."

 

Ilyasu continued to look on with a blatant 'the fuck?' cycling through her mind, glaring at Esper when he tapped her arm sharply and whispered under his breath, "That's the Emperor, what are you doing?"

 

She shrugged at him and turned back to the Emperor, "Mind telling us what all is happening?"

 

"Assassins attacked my sons and I am next. My Blades are leading me out of the city along a secret escape route. By chance, the entrance to that escape route leads through your cell."

 

The sound of one of the guards groaning to himself interrupted the conversation flow, "Sir, I don't believe telling them such things is a good idea. We should really keep moving." The Emperor waved a dismissive in the direction of his Blade escorts.

 

Ilyasu shifted her weight and crossed her arms, "That is dandy and all, but I do not think silly stars and chance are the reasons for us being in jail."

 

"Perhaps, or perhaps the Gods have placed you here so that we may meet. As for what you have done to put yourselves here…it does not matter." The Emperor hummed. Esper gave a look at Ilyasu, noting the subtle smugness in her eyes at the last statement. "That is not what you will be remembered for. So, do take care of each other. There will be blood and death before the end." The Emperor gave one finally nod before moving back to his escorts.

 

Esper grimaced, "Comforting…" They all watched on when the Blade captain pushed in a stone on the wall, rumbling echoing and shaking the cell as the wall behind the resting mat shifted and slid away to reveal a continuous hall beyond them.

 

* * *

 

_"You never tried that?" Ilyasu pushed Esper's arm, a shaming expression on her face._

_"_ **_I'm sorry_ ** _I don't get thrown in jail cells all the time to see if they contain secret passages." Esper huffed, a little offended that he was getting scolded by a woman he just met a few moments ago. A woman who just killed a man that was locked in a jail cell…He'll put up with the lecturing for the time being._

* * *

 

 

"Looks like this is your lucky day, prisoners." Baurus turned back to them just as the others left, motioning for them to follow the group. "Just stay out of our way and we won't have any problems."

 

**_…_ **

**_….._ **

**_…....._ **

 

"Should we go with them?"

 

"What? You have somewhere else to be?" Esper shook his head vigorously with a frown, "Then let's get going." Both Esper and Ilyasu hurried to catch the guard escorts, choosing to keep at the back of the escaping pack. Through the rocky tunnel, their feet met stone slabs, the whole area having a mild stank of sewage and stale air. The loud, metallic shuffling reverberating all around them, causing a cringe in Ilyasu at the sound of a noisy getaway.

 

Esper grumbled a bit, hesitantly turning to Ilyasu, "Do you feel that-" He stopped short at her sharp gaze on him, the tense stature of her shoulders when she nodded to him. Esper steeled himself, putting his trust in her instincts to be ready for…something, anything really. It wasn't until the sight of an iron gate blocking the wooden door did anything happen. From the bottom of the stairs, two forms emerged from the flanking surroundings, the bright red of their clothing a stark contrast to the dingy white stone around them all. The light from the skylights reflected off the intricate, grey armour plating on their bodies, glaring as they drew bladed flails from their waist. The Blades took off against their opponents with accompanying battle growls, long katana drawn and raised for combat. One of the masked assailants took a quick sidestep around the arcing slash of a Blade, leaving his back open to the three others in the room. Taking an opportunity for what is was, Ilyasu gave a firm kick to his back, towards his opponent's cutting blade, blood splattering across the stone slabs. A third figure appeared from a higher ledge, leaping down and tackling Ilyasu to the ground, his hands gripping at her face and neck. She struggled against the pressure pushing her face against the rough flagstone, the encumbering weight on her torso giving her little leverage to move. She reached and stretched to her boot, fingers just grazing the handle of the dagger she knew she needed but she couldn't get around the bulky form. Her arms were just too short, fingers brushing at the cool mask but unable to get any grip to pull.

 

The pressure around her neck sent a flaring panic through her. A tingling in the tips of extremities turned into sharp needle-pricks was almost painful, if not for the cold numbness that crept up afterwards. The roar of rushing blood in her ear almost passed for the crash of water at high sea...God, she missed the open sea and here she was, dying in a dank imperial sewer.

 

The sudden white rush of air filling her chest was almost freezing if not for the burning she felt around her throat. Her awareness expanding back to surrounding vicinity, to where Esper had the masked man on the ground, fist driving into an open face. One of the Blades pushed on Esper's shoulder, murmuring to him quietly once on his feet. The post-fight silence was almost deafening, listening to the Blades scout the area in nervous agitation as they searched the bodies for signs of anything. Esper had moved back to his former cellmates' side, helping her slowly to her feet, "A-are…Ilyasu?" He couldn't help staring at the red mark the spanning her throat, the large imprint turning an ugly purple and red combination.

 

She stumbled, letting out a ragged breath, "I will be fine."

 

"How could they be waiting for us here? No one is supposed to know about this passageway!" Baurus growled, turning around and around, searching for something. No sign or clue presented itself to quell his anger.

 

The Emperor cleared his throat, "Captain Renault? Is she…?"

 

Baurus looked back to his emperor, shame on his face, "She's dead, sir, but we must keep moving." The remaining blades ushered the Emperor to the wood door but when Ilyasu or Esper tried to follow, they were halted in their stride by a firm hand.

 

"Stay here, prisoners. Don't try to follow us." Esper squawked, lurching forward in anger. Why bother letting them leave the cell if they were just going to be left behind? He rushed to the door the moment it closed, yanking on the handle only to find it locked from the other end.

 

"Those fucking bastards. You can't just leave us here to die!" His fist beat against, surprisingly, sturdy wood. Esper slumped against the wood door, his anger seeping out of his body before he turned back to the empty, cold room behind him. "Ilyasu, we've got to find a way- Ilyasu?" He stopped in his tracks when he found the room void of his companion. He spun in a frantic circle, panic rising quickly, his heart dropping in his chest as he realized he'd been left-

 

"What are you doing?" the light, bored tone sent a rush of relief through him. He spun back around to see Ilyasu leaning over an isolated ledge, narrowed eyes pointed right at him but he couldn't find it in him to be upset.

 

"How'd you get up there? Why are you up there?"

 

"Are you asking questions again? Grab the sword from the guard and get up here." She pointed to the fallen captain's katana that still lay on the ground, "I do not plan on rotting in stinking sewers. I have a payment to collect. " Her face disappeared after, the sound of scuffling the only thing he had to tell she hadn’t left him behind. The Nord huffed loudly through his nose, turning to scour through the discarded bodies on the ground, praying for forgiveness to the Nine Divines for looting the bodies of the dead. He found a decently sized satchel on one of the men in red robes, pocketing various potions and poisons, trying his best to unlatch the katana' sheath from Renault's hip without disturbing her body. He hurried back to the wall where Ilyasu left him, scouring the wall for some footholds to grab onto, "How in the- There is nothing to grab onto, how am I to get to you?" Ilyasu huffed loudly but leaned down slightly to offer her hand to him.

 

She gestured at him to get a running start, "Run and jump. Do you do anything for yourself?" Esper scoffed as he sprinted at the wall, scaling at least a third of the wall before grabbing her small hand, doubt flashing through his mind when his hand simply engulfed hers and her body lurched suddenly closer to the edge. Can she even hold his weight? He hadn't thought about that part. She was so small compared to him, her head had only reached his collar and likely only weighing a third of him. She grunted as her chest pressed to the edge of the ledge from the added weight pulling on her arm, but her grasp didn't falter, adjusting to pull the large Nord up to her level. Esper could hear her muttering just over her own breathing at him.

 

* * *

 

_"You are lucky that you are not alone here…"_

_"I am lucky that you are also rather strong for your size-"_

_Ilyasu pinned him with a firm look, refusing to pull him any further up until this conversation was apparently done._

_Esper flushed, "No, no. It's just…You are quite strong for someone so…_ **_tiny_ ** _."_

_There was a long pause, where only the dripping of water reverberated._

_"I should drop you."_

_"Please don’t." Esper pouted._

* * *

 

Esper pulled his legs back from the ledge, flopping onto the flagstone tiling with a heaving groan, listening to Ilyasu chatter to herself and him, "There's no way out without the key…Unless they came in the way we had…but-" The sound of a heavy object slam against a hollow wall filled the dark cavern, Esper and Ilyasu leaned carefully over the edge, the wall below them suddenly crumbled. A stocky, hunched goblin stumbling through with a gurgling growl, dragging a large, dead rat by its tail. It dropped its prey to sniff at the air around the dead bodies. Esper couldn't help the grimace that crept across his face, but a thought occurred to him, "It's not like someone trapped that thing within the walls…" A sideways glance said Ilyasu thought the same.

 

"There's a way out through that hole…" She sneered and sat back, "Goblins don't often travel alone…and they aren't exactly lightweights either. My knife isn't going to kill that thing." She raised an eyebrow at him, head nodding to the blade strapped to his hip now. He was hesitant but being stuck in a sewer wasn't a better option. He took his chance when the goblin stepped closer to the wall, dropping on the unsuspecting beast and piercing its hide with his sharp blade. The sudden squeal of pain made him flinch, falling to the side of the fallen creature as blackened blood seeped from the piercing wound into the creases of dirty flagstone. He could feel the blood drain from his face, a sickening lurch in his stomach almost had him emptying his stomach on the ground but he held it back, just barely. The combining smells weren't helping.

 

Ilyasu slid down the wall, landing softly on her feet and approached the Esper's still form, "I…We should get going, but if we're going into the tunnel, you're going to need some temporary clothing." Esper turned to her, his face still pale but confused, following her head nod to where one of the other bodies lay. He groaned at the thought of having to scour another dead body.

 

"Nine Divines, please forgive me and my company." Ilyasu snickered at him when he pouted at her but they both went about stripping the bodies for the clothing that would fit Esper's form. Finally clothed in, notably, borrowed threads and armed enough, they continued into the side tunnels. The dim lighting was a blessing for Ilyasu, who dragged Esper along behind her with constant bickering and nudges, preferring to avoid most hostile interactions if they could afford it. Minus the one moment where they had gotten separated with a frightening appearance of a rotting, single armed zombie; Esper had pulled out of his knowledge some quick magic, creating a blaze to fend off the stumbling corpse, watching it drop to the ground and cease moving. He had to travel at least two miles further into the tunnel to find Ilyasu holed up in a small wall crevice, avoiding the sharp end of her dagger when he startled her and then again as he stupidly laughed at her for her fear of dead corpse.

 

"I don't know about you, fancy fingers, but my dead bodies tend to stay dead!" She huffed at him, glaring up at his face but hurried along. Aside from a few more encounters with rats and goblins, they made it to another opening in the familiar stonewalling. Esper shouted a happy laugh, running to the hole and dropping down to the lower floor without much preamble, "Come on, Ilyasu. We may just get out of here!" They could hear the stomp of armoured boots, the murmur of the Emperor and his guards as the came upon the duo ahead of them. Ilyasu tensed when the guards came into view, their faces twisting with anger when faced with the two former prisoners.

 

"It's those **damn** prisoners again! They're probably working with assassins. We should kill them right here." One of the Blades drew his sword, advancing on the two as they took quick steps back to keep a distance between them.

 

The Emperor's voice spoke above his guards, "No, they can help us. They must." Both guards turned their gaze to their superior before submitting, angrily shoving their blades back into its sheath. The Emperor approached both Esper and Ilyasu, at ease despite how tense and reproachful the two were, "They do not understand why I trust you. They haven't seen what I've seen. How can I…you know the Nine? How they guide our fates with an invisible hand?" Ilyasu's face twisted with a cynicism while Esper nodded vehemently.

 

"The Nine guide and protect us through life." The Emperor gave a slight smile at his response, amusement crossing his face at Ilyasu's quiet scoff.

 

"Yes, well. The signs I see show the end of my path. My death, a necessary end, will come when it will come. Your paths will continue, past this moment, guided by your signs on the road to destiny. You shall follow me yet for a while, then we must part." With his words said, he turns to move on. Baurus sighed heavily and brushed past them, gesturing for them to follow behind the group. They move for what is seemingly hours, fighting off the occasional assassins. They were almost out—so close—when they were forced to stop. The gate was suspiciously barred from the opposing side which leads them through a side passage— that turned out to be a simple dead end. The sound of stomping feet behind them had the Blades running off again to protect their leader. Abruptly, the Emperor turned on the pair, grim-faced but determined.

 

"It seems this is where our paths diverge. You must stand against the Prince of Destruction. He must not have the Amulet of Kings! Take it and bring it to Jauffre. He knows where to find my last son." Pleadingly, he grasped Esper's hand and pushed the deep red amulet into his palm, pressing Esper's closed fist to his chest before taking steady steps backward. Esper reached out to him, a shout stuck in his throat and his feet seemingly stuck to the ground. A paralysis spell? The faint green glow on the fringes of his vision gave it away. He struggled, the alarmingly strong spell locking him in place, as an assassin leaped from a hidden alcove, striking down the Emperor with the blade in his hand. The assassin took a quick step towards them, the bloodied blade gripped tightly as he advanced.

 

The dark chuckle seems to reverberate in his mask, "You chose a bad day to take up with the Septim cause." He launched his weight toward Esper, staggering as he took a fierce fireball to the chest, a hiss rising from heat-red metal as he growled and tried again for a second strike. His blade met ornate steel, Ilyasu holding steady behind her own blade. Her feet skidded with a push from her opponent, shifting to try and keep leverage when she shouted at him, "Now would be a great time for those fancy fingers of yours!"

 

Esper fumbled, he could use another fireball, but the contact explosion would catch Ilyasu. An ice spike was too direct with a high likelihood of missing completely, any kind of ailment spell had the chance of spreading to Ilyasu as well . He was running low on options and Ilyasu was running out room to fight, " **Duck!!** "

 

Ilyasu barely dropped out of the way of arcing lightning strikes, the violent branches scorching the assassin, his screams consumed by the sharp crackling of each lightning stream. The charred remains of the assassin seemingly crumbled to pieces onto the floor, smoke and ash lifting around the pile. Ilyasu and Esper scattered to the far walls at the sound of pounding feet approaching, tensing as the Blades came barging into the small tunnel. Smouldering remains and a dead Emperor was not a good sight for two live prisoners.

 

Baurus stooped low, reaching a hand out to lightly touch at their former emperor's shoulder. The touch seemingly more for resignation than confirmation, each Blades' stance sagging with blunt shame at their failure, "He-...He's dead...Talos save us." Esper tightened his grip, the cold weight of the amulet almost forgotten in his hands. The shifting of the metal chain gripped Baurus' attention, his gaze locked on the blood red of the amulet's gem. "You...He gave you the amulet?" The Blade gazed off for a moment, not looking for an answer from either of them, before speaking again, "The Amulet of Kings is a sacred symbol for the Empire, a item of great power that could only be worn by true heirs of the Dragon Blood. Or so they say. To have given it to you...He saw something in the both of you this whole time. Trusted you with a purpose, but why?" Esper turned to her, mouth gaping with stunted words.

 

Ilyasu huffed, "He asked us to find a man, Jauffre. Said he would be able to find his last son."

 

"Another heir? I suppose Jauffre would be the one to know such a thing, He is the Grandmaster of my Order. If you were tasked with finding him, you'll need to head toward the city of Chorrol. Jauffre leads a quiet, unassuming life as a monk at Weynon Priory." He handed Ilyasu a small brass key, "You'll be needing this key to get out of the sewers past this point. You'll encounter rats and goblins down there...but from what I've seen, you're both experienced agents of your trades. After the sewers...I can't be sure who, or even what, you will encounter. Take no chances, but your immediate course of action should be to Weynon Priory. The Amulet must reach Jauffre."

 

Esper nodded to himself, tucking the amulet into a pouch and tucking that pouch out of sight, "What will all of you do then?"

 

"We will stay here to guard the Emperor's body and secure your escape. Perhaps we will see each other another time but you must get moving." Baurus nodded to them, seeming to find nothing more to say and turned from them. Esper reached to pat the hidden pouch when his hand brushed the handle of the blade on his hip, a thought coming to him.

 

"Baurus!" Baurus turned a questioning gaze to Esper, who fumbled over his words, "Uh...sir, I think this should to stay with you." Unbuckling the straps at his waist, he held out the katana he had been using. Baurus gave a sombre smile, gently taking the offered blade.

 

"Captain Renault's blade...Thank you for recovering this for us, we may not be able to give her a proper burial but we can at least honour her now. Nine bless you." Baurus gave him a heavy pat on the shoulder before joining his companions on guard. Ilyasu called out to Esper from the alcove, and the duo continued on with a new weight on their shoulders and a daunting feeling settling inside them. Escaping the sewers would be the beginning, on the other side was the unknown abyss. What it held...they'd have to find out.


End file.
